Blessings in Strange Places
By Sarah Kosanke
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:17
It had been a rough day to say the least, between the rejection letter I received telling me I wasn’t chosen for the job I so desperately wanted to the 10-hour shift at work that began at 5:30 a.m. Everything in me begged to go home, take a nice warm shower and go to bed…but I had obligations. It was Wednesday night, which meant I was working with kids at church. Honestly, that was the last place I wanted to be and the last thing I wanted to do. It took all of my willpower to get back into my car, drive there, walk in and be present for my girls.By Sarah Kosanke
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:17
As I look back now, I’m convinced that God had a big smile on His face anticipating the lesson I was about to learn. As the children learned their lesson on the virtue of discipline, I heard over and over: “Discipline is doing what you’re supposed to even when you don’t feel like it.” It completely made sense to me, and I chuckled a little in my head saying, “Thanks, God, I needed that,” and thinking it was the last time I would have to ponder that lesson. The rest of the night, however, kept getting better. Between lots of hugs and kind words, to fun games played with laughter, I left church a different woman - - a blessed, joyful, energized, and loved woman. The blessings didn’t stop there: I returned home to my roommate, who encouraged me even more. What a great ending to a rough day!
Even though I didn’t feel like it, I went to church to complete my responsibilities and came home blessed. I found blessing in being disciplined enough to do what I said I would do.
The same goes for all of us: the Lord blesses us with being disciplined. It may be a hard concept to grasp, but it is the Lord teaching you to grow stronger in the area of prayer, spending time with Him in the Bible, saying “no” to temptations with His help, or in whatever other area He’s growing us. Why does He do this, we ask? It’s not fun or pleasurable in the least! But it’s because our Lord loves us so much He wants to teach us, He wants to make His girls more like Him…and most of all, He wants to bless us!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What is God putting on your heart today on the matter of self-discipline? What is it that “you don’t feel like doing”?
2. Pray about this matter today. God put it on your heart for a reason and remember HE wants to bless you!
FURTHER READING:
1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Galatians 5
Sarah is a single young lady who works as a rehabilitation specialist for mentally ill clients in a group home. She teaches the 5th and 6th grade girls on Sunday Mornings and the 2nd through 4th grade girls on Wednesday nights at Oakwood.
